The Hong Kong Jockey Club said the Wan Chai Spring Garden Street off-course betting branch opened on September 1, 20241. The club described it as one of the outlets it is converting into experience stores combining sport, dining and entertainment concepts1. The announcement came in the club's annual results statement for the 2023/24 financial year, published on September 4, 20241.
The club said the conversion program targets younger customers, alongside a trial of a new digital racecourse service at Happy Valley from the start of the 2024/25 season1. It also said it will keep running racecourse entertainment under the Happy Wednesday night racing brand and stage special events during major race days, aiming to attract more customers, particularly mainland Chinese visitors, whose attendance set a record in the 2023/24 season1.
"馬會亦會繼續將特定場外投注處轉型為集運動、餐飲和娛樂概念於一身的體驗店，包括已於9月1日開幕的灣仔春園街場外投注處。"
The results statement gave the club's betting figures for the year. Total turnover was HK$304,884 million, roughly flat on the previous year's HK$304,799 million1. Racing turnover fell 3.1% to HK$136,050 million, football turnover rose 2.2% to a record HK$160,272 million, and Mark Six turnover rose 13.3% to HK$8,562 million1. Total gambling revenue fell 10.5% to HK$148 billion, which the club attributed mainly to the HK$24 billion extra football betting duty paid during the year1.
| Item | 2023/24 (HK$ million) | 2022/23 (HK$ million) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racing turnover | 136,050 | 140,363 | -3.1% |
| Football turnover | 160,272 | 156,876 | +2.2% |
| Mark Six turnover | 8,562 | 7,560 | +13.3% |
| Total turnover | 304,884 | 304,799 | 0.0% |
Source: Hong Kong Jockey Club annual results1
The club said local racing turnover for the 2023/24 season fell 9.3%1.
What it means for players
The new branch gives punters in Wan Chai a betting outlet in the club's experience-store format, rather than a traditional betting shop1. Betting in Hong Kong runs through the Jockey Club's legal channels, which cover horse racing, football and the Mark Six lottery1. It said it sees a case for extending its license to cover other sports, particularly basketball, but that any new sport depends on a government decision1.
What happens next
The club said a new digital racecourse experience will be trialed at Happy Valley from the start of the 2024/25 season1. It said Conghua Racecourse in Guangdong will host regular race meetings from 2026, with preparations including a new landmark grandstand under way1. The club also said it will keep reporting the scope and scale of illegal gambling to the Hong Kong SAR government1.
Sources1 sources
- 與你並肩．昨天．今天．每一天 馬會2023/24年度再創紀錄回饋社會401億港元 - 馬會新聞 - 馬會知多少 - 香港賽馬會, corporate.hkjc.com
